The Rise of the "Authentic Self"

and why it is compelling to so many

adults sitting in a circle of chairs

“What would you do to ensure students can be their authentic selves on campus?” a parent recently asked one of the Head of School candidates at my children’s independent school.

Sure, it’s a trendy question, but it’s also very odd in human cultural history. (For the sake of this essay going smoothly, I will ignore the…